SEPTEMBER 10 – 17, 2022 | GENTLE YOGA + MELT IN TUSCANY: A REJUVENATING TOURING ADVENTURE with RUDY + JOYCE PEIRCE
“Yoga is about changing our habits.” ~ Rodney Yee
An unforgettable Tuscan holiday awaits you! You are gifting yourself with a truly fabulous vacation week. We have hosted over a dozen Gentle Yoga retreats in Tuscany and it just gets better every year. It is a joy to share the experience of this fabled region, a crossroads of medieval history, the cradle of the Renaissance, land of soulful, artful living.
This retreat is for all levels; no yoga or MELT® experience necessary.
Location
Home base for our week in Tuscany is a splendid grouping of four homes collectively known as Il Borghino, nestled in a luxurious setting with a stunning view. These homes have been meticulously restored to make them welcoming and homey as well as being both comfortable and modern. You will enjoy a remarkable combination of elegant and traditional Tuscan living.
The villa itself sits high on a hillside overlooking a panorama of olive groves, fruit trees and vineyards. Nestled amongst the Tuscan hills, close to the enchanting city of Lucca, time moves slower here; an afternoon can easily be lost drifting through the olive groves or resting by the salt-water pool.
The villa’s convenient location also allows for easy travel to some of Italy’s most picturesque historic towns including Lucca, and the renowned seaside villages of the Cinque Terre.
Typical Daily Yoga Program
The week offers the opportunity to immerse yourself in a Gentle Yoga retreat while exploring the sights and flavors of Tuscany. You will enjoy a magical week of loving yourself and loving life with twice daily yoga/MELT classes, stunning scenery, pure fun, gracious hospitality, belly laughing, great food, and well-organized adventures.
Afternoons at the Villa will generally offer spacious free-time, then afternoon Gentle Yoga with Rudy to unwind any stress you may have brought with you.
Every day you will partake in fabulously fresh, vegetarian Tuscan cuisine!
Planned Activities
We have two day-trips and one evening outing planned. However, everything is optional giving you the flexibility to adapt the week to your own individual needs. We have a bike and walking tour of charming nearby Lucca early in the week, guided by an equally charming guide who has a deep family history in Lucca. Mid-week we have an all-day excursion to sensational Cinque Terre (the Five Lands), beautiful, vividly colored villages located on cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea. Another enchanting option is attending a performance of Puccini in Lucca at the church where he was an organist prior to his successful composing career.
Afternoons at the Villa will generally offer spacious free-time, then afternoon Gentle Yoga with Rudy to unwind any stress you may have brought with you. Following this time of rejuvenation and rest you will partake in fabulously fresh Tuscan cuisine. We will spend some of our days relaxing “Under the Tuscan Sun,” poolside at the Villa, or on a guided hike. Additionally you have the opportunity to register for an Italian cooking class which will result in that day’s gourmet lunch
About Rudy Peirce
Rudy Peirce, MA, E-RYT 500, has studied andpracticed yoga and meditation for more than 30 years. A Kripalu Yoga teacher since 1983, he guides accessible and gentle yoga, using a self-empowering, mindful approach that facilitates deep release for beginners as well as experienced practitioners. Rudy has been on the Kripalu faculty for more than two decades and currently serves as an instructor for the Kripalu School of Yoga and the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute. His popular four-CD set, The Gentle Series, supports students in maintaining a regular home practice.
Rudy’s passion is helping people discover the best of themselves through a self-nurturing practice of yoga. His gift is leading Dynamic Gentle Yoga, a particularly accessible, yet deep and effective style of yoga he has developed over the years in the Kripalu Yoga style. You can find more information about Rudy on his website www.gentle-yogis.com
About Joyce Peirce
Joyce Peirce is a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher and Shake Your Soul® movement facilitator. Together with her husband, Rudy Peirce they run a Gentle Yoga business. They share a commitment to leading yoga and movement experiences that work for every person that wants to learn. Joyce is aso an enthusiastic MELT method Instructor who is eager to help people feel better and increase their enjoyment of life through ease and comfort in daily living and movement activities.
More details about Joyce at www.gentle-yogis.com
What’s Included?
- Yoga: Morning yoga daily except on the day we go to Cinque Terre. Discover ease of movement and plumb the depths of relaxation through Dynamic Gentle Yoga with Rudy.
- MELT classes: The MELT Method is a fascinating self-care system that reduces chronic stiffness and pain, decreases inflammation, and more. It’s a perfect companion to yoga practice. With Joyce as your instructor, you will learn MELT Hand and Foot Treatments using the MELT soft balls, and, if Joyce can find a feasible way to get rollers to Italy, you will also learn a variety of sequences for the upper and lower body using the unique MELT soft roller. Roller treatments would include gentle release techniques for the neck and low back. See selfcaremoments.com and meltmethod.com for more information. If group roller classes are not provided, then private or semi-private sessions to learn these techniques will be offered for an additional fee. Contact Joyce at info@gentleyogi.com with any questions.
- Accommodations: There are two double rooms with a shared hallway bath, six double rooms with private bath, two single rooms with private baths (18 total guest spaces plus Rudy and Joyce makes our group 20 max). Linens and towels are provided with a towel change mid-week. Towels are also provided for swimming pool use.
- Meals: Three delicious vegetarian meals per day except for one dinner out when we go into Lucca for the optional activity of a Puccini performance and and one lunch out in Cinque Terre. For these meals, guests are free to make their own plan or join the group at our favorite restaurants, Cantine Bernardini in Lucca, and Ristorante Belforte in Vernazza which has a fantastic water view. Also provided is fresh juice at breakfast (a different
delicious combination each day), unlimited fruit, water, and herbal teas throughout the day and wine from the estate at dinner. - Fresh + Vegetable Juice: A fresh vegetable/fruit juice is provided at breakfast (a different delicious combination each day).
- Internet Access and Mobile Phone Reception: WiFi Internet access is available at Il Borghino. However, as we are in the countryside, mobile phone service can be intermittent.
- Laundry Facilities: Washing machines and drying racks are available on-site so you can freshen your wardrobe if needed.
- Excursions and Add-Ons: Excursions (depending upon weather) are planned to Lucca and Cinque Terre. The transport and tour fee for Lucca is included. The transport fee for Cinque Terre is included. It is suggested that guests budget about €250 per person for other transport needs and/or meals out during optional activities, the cooking class (€30), massages (€60), other optional activities and tips
- Swimming pool: A gorgeous saltwater pool is a centerpiece at Il Borghino and is available to you morning, noon, and night, but can be rather cool in late September.
- Lucca pick-up/drop-off: Transfers to and from the train station in Lucca to Il Borghino at the start and finish of the retreat are included (i.e., one scheduled pick-up and one scheduled drop-off).
Retreat Prices, per person
Room Type 1 – $2789 USD per person. Single room with shared hallway bathroom (i.e 2 people sharing the same bathroom).
Room Type 2 – $2689 USD per person. Twin share room (double occupancy) with private bathroom (i.e 2 people sharing one bathroom). Add $500 for single occupancy with private bath.
Room Type 3 – $3189 USD per person. Small single room (single occupancy) with private bathroom.
Terms and Conditions
Prices are per person. A non-refundable deposit of $800 USD per person is requested at time of booking and will secure your spot in the retreat on a first come basis. Balance due on or before July 1, 2021. Once we receive your reservation, we will email you a confirmation along with more trip details.
For more information, click on the button “Reserve Your Place”.
What’s Not Included?
- Airfare from/to your home city
- Travel insurance
- Ground transportation outside the scheduled pick-up on arrival day and drop-off on departure day *
- One lunch and one dinner out when we are out out on excursions.
- Any other additional meals you choose to have outside the retreat centre.
- Massages and Optional activities other than those specified as included in the retreat price
- Other travel-related expenses
* Transfers outside the scheduled pick-up or drop-off can be arranged for an additional fee
Transport Options – Getting to and From Il Borghino
- The nearest airport to Lucca is Pisa international Airport “Galileo Galileo” – 18 Miles from Lucca
- Florence International Airport “Amerigo Vespucci” is 50 Miles from Lucca
- If you are flying into Rome, Fiumicino Airport is 162 miles from Lucca.
- Regular trains and buses run from both Pisa and Florence airports to Lucca and are very reasonably priced. Trains also run regularly from Rome airport but the trip is much longer and takes around 4.5 hours.
Check-in and Check-out
- Check-in at Il Borghino is strictly 4pm on the day of arrival.
- When booking your flights, we recommend you plan your arrival time in Lucca for around 15:30pm, to coincide with the group transfer to Il Borghino at 3:45pm. There will be one scheduled pick-up only. Please email your arrival details to info@yogainitaly.com as soon as they are available. If you are unable to make the pick-up, we can arrange for a taxi to bring you to Il Borghino.
- Check-out at Il Borghino is strictly 09:30am on the last day. Please plan your departure flights accordingly.
